The Druid Grove

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Why not found your community as a retreat with full time members who are also OBOD initiates, Bards, Ovates and Druids? After a few years, establishing that it can sustain itself, has real and renewing purpose in the greater community, and upholds the philosophy of OBOD without becoming dictatorial, oppressive or culty, perhaps OBOD will affiliate it?

this sounds like a really good way forward

Most dear is fire to the sons of men,
most sweet the sight of the sun;
good is health if one can but keep it,
and to live a life without shame. (Havamal 68)http://gewessiman.blogspot.co.uk

Why not found your community as a retreat with full time members who are also OBOD initiates, Bards, Ovates and Druids? After a few years, establishing that it can sustain itself, has real and renewing purpose in the greater community, and upholds the philosophy of OBOD without becoming dictatorial, oppressive or culty, perhaps OBOD will affiliate it?

That's a good idea. I do want it to be open only to OBOD initiates who have completed at least the first 25 gwersi of the Bardic Grade. If someone from my area who sees a sign at the local metaphysical bookshop wished to join I would have them pay the $25 admin fee and they could use my old gwersi which I having bound in a hardcover leather binding.

Order of Ceridwen
Monastery of Our Lady of the Oak Grove
Order of Avalon (or Trefyn Afallon in the Cymraeg)
Order of Anglessey (Trefyn Anglessey)

I'm following this discussion with quiet interest at this point, but I thought I should mention that that last name might not be a good option. There's already the Anglesey Druid Order http://www.angleseydruidorder.co.uk, and you probably don't want to create confusion. Just a little thing.

*goes back to listening*

Love took up the glass of Time, and turn'd it in his glowing hands;
Every moment, lightly shaken, ran itself in golden sands.
Love took up the harp of Life, and smote on all the chords with might;
Smote the chord of Self, that, trembling, pass'd in music out of sight.
(from Locksley Hall by Alfred Lord Tennyson)

Why not found your community as a retreat with full time members who are also OBOD initiates, Bards, Ovates and Druids? After a few years, establishing that it can sustain itself, has real and renewing purpose in the greater community, and upholds the philosophy of OBOD without becoming dictatorial, oppressive or culty, perhaps OBOD will affiliate it?

That's a good idea. I do want it to be open only to OBOD initiates who have completed at least the first 25 gwersi of the Bardic Grade. If someone from my area who sees a sign at the local metaphysical bookshop wished to join I would have them pay the $25 admin fee and they could use my old gwersi which I having bound in a hardcover leather binding.

The Awen is certainly moving through you. Probably best to let OBOD supply the literature to the student with membership, initiation and tutor access. The project is also a great motivation to get through Ovate and Druid grade, and be eligible to set up an official grove.

“Listen, O little pig! are not the buds of thorns
Very green, the mountain beautiful, and beautiful the earth?”
- Myrddin Wyllt, Hoianau / Greetings (to a Pig)

Order of Ceridwen
Monastery of Our Lady of the Oak Grove
Order of Avalon (or Trefyn Afallon in the Cymraeg)
Order of Anglessey (Trefyn Anglessey)

I'm following this discussion with quiet interest at this point, but I thought I should mention that that last name might not be a good option. There's already the Anglesey Druid Order http://www.angleseydruidorder.co.uk, and you probably don't want to create confusion. Just a little thing.

*goes back to listening*

Good to know. I didn't know Ynys Mon had it's own order. I'll have to check them out. I'm currently operating under the name Order of Holy Ceridwen (Trefn y Ceridwen Sanctaidd). I'm putting together a webpage and have it about 25% complete. I don't have a breviary written yet, but it will include four elemental rites per day and 4 rites concerning the four seasons, all based on the "Benedictine Daily Prayer, A Short Breviary" book. I want to include Christian Druids as well and will include the Psalmody and a daily reading as a part of the daiily meditations. The Psalter would have the monk or nun reading all 150 psalms per week. I'm not a Christian, but I find great solace in reciting the Psalms. That's a holdover from when I was a Benedictine Oblate. Of course the pagan or unaffiliated Druids can skip the Psalms if they want to.

I have the eight daily prayers grouped into seasonal associations with Matins and Vigils representing Winter, Lauds and Terce for Spring, Sext and None for Summer, and Vespers and Compline for Autumn.

The Ceridwenian Handbook and Breviary, which I am currently writing will have the Rules of the Order, the entire Liturgy of the Hours, the entire Book of Psalms and tips for Postulants, Novitiates and Oblates on incorporating the Daily Office into a busy life. The Ceridwenian Handbook and Breviary will available for free download as a PDF document, or a hardbound or spiral bound book available from the Order at a low cost (just enough to cover the printing and binding fees).

Why not found your community as a retreat with full time members who are also OBOD initiates, Bards, Ovates and Druids? After a few years, establishing that it can sustain itself, has real and renewing purpose in the greater community, and upholds the philosophy of OBOD without becoming dictatorial, oppressive or culty, perhaps OBOD will affiliate it?

That's a good idea. I do want it to be open only to OBOD initiates who have completed at least the first 25 gwersi of the Bardic Grade. If someone from my area who sees a sign at the local metaphysical bookshop wished to join I would have them pay the $25 admin fee and they could use my old gwersi which I having bound in a hardcover leather binding.

The Awen is certainly moving through you. Probably best to let OBOD supply the literature to the student with membership, initiation and tutor access. The project is also a great motivation to get through Ovate and Druid grade, and be eligible to set up an official grove.

I doubt that I will find someone in rusty Toledo, OH (where I live) who is interested in ceremonial and contemplative Druidry so that's probably a moot point anyhow. I've got enough on my hands writing the Handbook and Breviary. I already belong to the Keepers of Dragon Knowledge Grove in Ann Arbor, MI about 45 minutes north of me and that's where I currently celebrate the wheel of the year and I don't see that changing any time soon, but I do pray a daily office at my home in my home altar/shrine. I was initiated at the KDK Grove.

Would the retreat be open to people who would like to join just for, say, a long weekend or a week? I can see the attraction and the benefits of living one's life as part of a monastic order, but there's no way I would give up my husband or family in order to do that full-time. However, I do often wish there was someplace I could go for a few days to meditate, Druid-style, live a simple life, and walk around by myself and enjoy nature. Help with the cooking, obviously, and do the washing-up, sweep floors, clean the windows. I like the idea of a soup-kitchen. Bit of a spiritual-retreat-holiday. I hope that doesn't sound degrading (I certainly don't mean it to be), but about a week or two at a time is probably the most that modern folk with jobs and families can manage, even if they do like the idea of quiet, contemplative living within a community setting.

Wishing you luck and inspiration with this project If you do found your Druid retreat, my husband and I will certainly come for a week once a year (if it's in Europe).

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Would the retreat be open to people who would like to join just for, say, a long weekend or a week? I can see the attraction and the benefits of living one's life as part of a monastic order, but there's no way I would give up my husband or family in order to do that full-time. However, I do often wish there was someplace I could go for a few days to meditate, Druid-style, live a simple life, and walk around by myself and enjoy nature. Help with the cooking, obviously, and do the washing-up, sweep floors, clean the windows. I like the idea of a soup-kitchen. Bit of a spiritual-retreat-holiday. I hope that doesn't sound degrading (I certainly don't mean it to be), but about a week or two at a time is probably the most that modern folk with jobs and families can manage, even if they do like the idea of quiet, contemplative living within a community setting.

Wishing you luck and inspiration with this project If you do found your Druid retreat, my husband and I will certainly come for a week once a year (if it's in Europe).

You wouldn't have to give up anything if you were an avowed Nun. But there would be an Oblate program which would allow people to adopt as much of the Rule and practice as they could and try to work elements of monasticism into their lives. Once the Ceridwenian Handbook is finished, you would be able to download it off the Orders website for free or you could purchase a hardback book for a small fee (cost of printing and bindig) which will contain the entire Rule of the Order, the Daily Office (prayer times), a large number of triads and Welsh proverbs and the entire book of Psalms (for the Christian Druids).

There are currently no plans to purchase any large buildings to use as Monastery/Retreat. Individual Monks and Nuns would continue to live at their current addresses which would then be recognized as a Charter House (more than 1 Monkk or Nun) or a Hermitage (for the single Monk or Nun).

Would the retreat be open to people who would like to join just for, say, a long weekend or a week? ... If you do found your Druid retreat, my husband and I will certainly come for a week once a year (if it's in Europe).

I don’t wish to divert interest from the discussion about setting up a specific style of Druid monasticism but, if you’re looking at a less specific occasional retreat in the UK, Joanna van der Hoeven may be able to help. I know she ran a retreat at Glastonbury under the title “The Little Pagan Monastery” a couple of years ago. There’s a bit about the 2014 retreat on her blog herehttp://downtheforestpath.com/2014/04/15 ... y-weekend/I think she had the intention to make it a regular thing although she may be too busy with setting up a UK branch of The Druid College (http://uk.druidcollege.org/ ), along with Robin Herne, to be running the retreats now.

You might try contacting Joanna and can find out about her and her contact details at from her website/blog “Down the Forest Path”http://downtheforestpath.com/

Would the retreat be open to people who would like to join just for, say, a long weekend or a week? ... If you do found your Druid retreat, my husband and I will certainly come for a week once a year (if it's in Europe).

I don’t wish to divert interest from the discussion about setting up a specific style of Druid monasticism but, if you’re looking at a less specific occasional retreat in the UK, Joanna van der Hoeven may be able to help. I know she ran a retreat at Glastonbury under the title “The Little Pagan Monastery” a couple of years ago. There’s a bit about the 2014 retreat on her blog herehttp://downtheforestpath.com/2014/04/15 ... y-weekend/I think she had the intention to make it a regular thing although she may be too busy with setting up a UK branch of The Druid College (http://uk.druidcollege.org/ ), along with Robin Herne, to be running the retreats now.

You might try contacting Joanna and can find out about her and her contact details at from her website/blog “Down the Forest Path”http://downtheforestpath.com/

Unfortunately I live in the US and cannot afford to go to Europe. There are only a small handful of events and retreats here. There's much more activities over there. I believe the East Coast Gathering is the largest event here.

If I had the money I would definitely buy a large house with a large yard and set up a true Monastery. But alas, I only live in a 3 bedroom cottage.

Ooh, my bad for not having read the thread carefully enough. I was under the impression that you were intending to found a monastery in Wales (because of the Wales-related names, I guess).

@Gwion: thank you for that information, I will go and check it out!

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

I'm currently working on the Daily Office. I should have that done in about 2 weeks. I'm basing it from "Benedictine Daily Prayers" rewritten with a Goddess Ceridwen focus. There is still an optional psalmody (there for the Christian Druids), but otherwise the ceremony is Goddess centered.

I currently studying on the OBOD course and I kind of see my self as a Hedge Druid (not that I'm inclined to connect with other Druids in fact this is something I now wish to do!!) but I find the idea of a kind of monastery interesting. I agree what other have said in regards to dogma but at the same time I would like to learn more so I'm having an open mind.

I currently studying on the OBOD course and I kind of see my self as a Hedge Druid (not that I'm inclined to connect with other Druids in fact this is something I now wish to do!!) but I find the idea of a kind of monastery interesting. I agree what other have said in regards to dogma but at the same time I would like to learn more so I'm having an open mind.

Des

Hi Des, welcome to the Order and to the Board. Please make yourself at home here and join in with the discussions. If you wish to join the Members Only section of the Board, then the info is within this link... viewtopic.php?f=240&t=479.

I'm not so sure about it. I'm interested to know if this would be connected with OBOD in any way. My reservations are thus, firstly do we need to create dogma to function as druid priest/esses? I'm quite happy with a non dogmatic, non hierarchical approach but I guess living as a hermit has its advantages
Secondly, part of the role of the Druid is that of service to the community. How would this fit into the Druidic concept?

....as for the wearing of a chastity belt.....erm, no!

I think it's a fabulous idea and he notes that it will not be for everyone. It's an option for those who choose to take it. There are times when I wish there was some place I could go for a weekend of something like this (I realize that this might not be your vision of the order) where everyone is on the same/similar page and I can just do what I do without the outside world even being a part of it. I love the idea and look forward to hearing more about it.

I'm trying to come up with a name for the Monastic Order. So far I have;

Order of Ceridwen
Monastery of Our Lady of the Oak Grove
Order of Avalon (or Trefyn Afallon in the Cymraeg)
Order of Anglessey (Trefyn Anglessey)

Maybe you folks can help come up with a name. Usually I'm pretty good at naming things, but this time around I'm completely stumped.

I have the first draft of the revised Rule of Benedict, it's 44 pages long and covers every aspect of the Monks or Nuns lifestyle. I would post it up here, but I would have to do it in several posts because there is a 60,000 character limit with this board and the Revised Rule of Benedict is somewhere around 232,000 characters.

I love the Order of Ceridwen. But the Monastery of Our Lady of the Oak Grove is great as well.